Kensington Palace has released new details about the upcoming visit of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Sweden and Norway, that is due to take place between Tuesday 30th January and Friday 2nd February.
The visit, which is at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, will mark the first time that the royal couple have visited both countries. William and Catherine have reportedly asked for as many opportunities to meet the people of both Sweden and Norway as possible, over the four-day trip.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will meet plenty of other Royals on their trip to norway and sweden (Picture by Andrew Parsons / i-Images) Picture by Stephen Lock / i-Images
Sweden
The night before the tour begins, the royal couple will stay at the official residence of Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Sweden, before beginning the tour on Tuesday morning. The first stop for the future-King and Queen is set to be a bandy hockey event at Vasaparken, an outdoor ice-skating arena in central Stockholm. The couple will meet with local players and learn about the popularity of the sport in Sweden,
Following this, the Duke and Duchess will arrive at the Royal Palace of Stockholm to attend a luncheon hosted by King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. Its expected that 15 members of the Swedish Royal Court will be in attendance, including Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel.
After lunch, William and Kate, escorted by Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, will walk through the streets of Stockholm greeting well-wishers, before reaching the Nobel Museum, where all four Royals will learn about the Nobel Laureate system.
The Duke and Duchess will then make a stop at ArkDes, an architectural design centre, to learn about sustainable building. The day will conclude with a black tie dinner at the British Ambassador’s residence, attended by members of the Swedish Royal Family and the Swedish Prime Minister.
On the last day of the Swedish leg of the tour, the British Royals will hear how the Swedish education system is tackling mental health issues, and will visit a local comprehensive school, again escorted by Victoria and Daniel. In the afternoon, they will visit major Swedish department store, ‘NK’ to see how UK brands are succeeding in the Swedish market; they will then travel to Haga Palace for tea with Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel.
During the evening, the Cambridges will visit the Fotografiska Gallery, where the Duke will deliver a speech. Weather permitting, William and Catherine will take in the views of Stockholm by night as they pass around the harbour by boat, before being briefed on the Swedish Armed Forces and departing for Norway.
Norway
The 2nd-in-line to the throne and his wife will land at Oslo Airport in the late morning, where they will be greeted by Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, the heir to the Norwegian throne.
They will then travel to the Royal Palace to be officially welcomed by King Harald and Queen Sonja. In the afternoon, the Duke and Duchess will visit the Princess Ingrid Alexandra Sculpture Park in the Palace Gardens, opened to mark 25 years of the King’s reign. Many members of the public are expected to greet the couple in the park.
After this, William and Kate will visit an event for start-up business and entrepreneurs, with the Crown Prince and Princess, before dining with the King and Queen at the Royal Palace. Both King Harald and Prince William will give a speech.
The following day will see the Duke and Duchess visit Hartvig Nissen School, to meet the stars and producers of Skam, a highly successful Norwegian TV programme. They will then dine privately with the Crown Prince and Princess.
Finally, William and Catherine will carry out engagements around and about Holmenkollen, Oslo’s snowy hills. They will learn how Norwegians adapt to the cold weather, and will visit the local Ski Jump.
It’s what looks to be a very busy four-day tour for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and is designed to prepare them for their future roles, by building relationships with younger members of the Swedish and Norwegian Royal Families and by representing Britain on the world stage.
Unlike their longer trip to Canada, Prince George and Princess Charlotte will not accompany their parents to Sweden and Norway, as school term is underway.
